but my fellow panelists tracy kay smith -- [applause] boar reis manning, patrick, dana and i locked in the room all summer emerged not only in tact but breathlessly in sync. the poetry that brought us to the doorstop puck -- pushing the other work away. we didn't agree. we shared a passion and sense of urgency see that the work was brought forth and presented to the world. in other words it was easy and obvious despite all the internal and external wrestling that went in to it. i make it sound as if we didn't need to talk about it. oh did we talk and list and worry. but we did it in sympathy, and with a shared vision and although i like to think my group of panelists was, of course, uniquely incredible, and we were destined to do it together, i believe in the end it was these five books we finally collapsed with and applauded and loved as a group that made it possible for us to emerge full of joy about the process. the finalists for the national book award in poetry this year are david ferry. "the wilderman" new poems and translation published by the university of chicago press. [appla